


detour

by owlnigiri (kitsuanne)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Akaashi Keiji-centric, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25811674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitsuanne/pseuds/owlnigiri
Summary: Akaashi Keiji felt like he was a bystander of his own life. People, events, days - everything was like he was watching a TV program.A very boring one.It’s not like he had a wish, or something that he could do so he would start feeling better. Maybe that was the problem. Akaashi was just existing, day by day, without anything exciting happening in his life, without friends, without a life.He wondered how long that would drag on, and if something would happen. It never had. And he knew it wouldn’t.But he was wrong.or Akaashi goes back in time to change his boring life, and it works surprisingly well - just not how he expected it would.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 11
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> thank you immensely to [@prince_zale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/prince_zale) for beta-ing this too, you're a lifesaver!  
> this might have been heavily influenced by monsta x's dramarama mv

He was bored.

Boredom filled Akaashi’s days, lingered in his every move, entangled itself in the curls of his dark hair.

He was wrapped in boredom and did not know how to come out of it.

Akaashi would walk to his university every day, finding the path he took as unexciting as ever. He would watch his classes and take notes, but none of it sparked something in his heart, even though it was a course he had chosen himself. He would eat in the cafeteria, do his homework, read the assigned books, but nothing, none of it, would make him less bored.

He felt like he was a bystander of his own life. People, events, days - everything was like he was watching a TV program.

A very boring one.

It’s not like he had a wish, or something that he could do so he would start feeling better. Maybe that was the problem. Akaashi was just existing, day by day, without anything exciting happening in his life, without friends, without _a life_.

He wondered how long that would drag on, and if something would happen. It never had. And he knew it wouldn’t.

But he was wrong.

…

He was at a café. His half-drunk matcha, with the same boring taste as ever, was starting to get cold. His face rested in his hand, his elbow on the table, and he kept his eyes low, his long eyelashes nearly touching his cheekbones, his gunmetal blue irises following the lines of a boring book he had to read for his next boring class. It told the story of all sorts of wondrous events happening to a particularly plain main character, who had nothing special going for them. Akaashi didn’t like those kinds of stories. The author made it seem like the main character didn’t have any special qualities, but later on during the reading, one would find out they had many, many incredible assets. They would be brave, or loyal, or maybe even selfless enough to sacrifice themselves. That’s why they were chosen to be the main character, that’s why magical things happened to them.

As someone who lived an everyday boring life, Akaashi could never find beauty in that. He would never be that main character, because he knew he lacked any special abilities or traits. He would keep on living his boring life until gods knows when.

Or so he thought, before the two weird men entered the café.

Akaashi didn’t notice them right away, trying to finish reading page 154 so he would move on to page 155.

The first man was very tall, and he wore black from head to toes. His shoes were patent black; his trousers and his shirt were black as well, and he wore a long overcoat that reached his knees. His left eye’s eyelashes were long and very dark, and his spiky hair was blacker than his outfit. One wouldn’t be able to see his right eye’s eyelashes properly because a long fringe reached them and almost hid them completely.

The man who accompanied him was quite different though; he was a lot shorter and he didn’t wear _all_ black. His pants and oversized sweatshirt were indeed black and he hid his hands in the large front pocket, but his sneakers were closer to a shade of dark blue. His hair though, half covered in the sweatshirt’s hoodie, was a brassy blonde – or at least part of it was. The roots were definitely black.

The first man ordered an espresso and the second, a strawberry frappuccino.

This all could have been very exciting and people could have been glancing curiously at the two very particular figures, but for some reason they weren’t. It was like, besides the shop assistant, who was paying very close attention, no one could see them.

If Akaashi had raised his eyes from page 158, he might have seen them before they made way to his table and sat silently in front of him. He might have noticed that, besides him and the shop assistant, who now seemed to have completely forgotten the duo she had just served, no one was _really_ able to see the two of them.

But he didn’t, and it would still take a lot of time for him to notice that magical things had started happening to him.

“Is it good?”

With a little jump in surprise, Akaashi looked up from his book and met their stare. He blinked a few times.

“Is it good?” the first man repeated, and took a sip from his espresso.

“What is?” he asked, confused with the sudden approach of two strangers.

“The book,” he grinned, slightly raising his chin to indicate the hardcover book that Akaashi still had in his hands, page 159 mid-turned as he meant to flip it over to 160.

“It is not”, he deadpanned. The man with the long fringe shrieked in what could be a laugh, but the one next to him didn’t even bat an eye. “Who are you?” Akaashi decided to ask, ready to pack his things and leave.

They exchanged a look and after another sip of his drink, the man spoke again. Akaashi wondered if the pudding-head one could speak at all.

“You don’t need to know that. But,” he raised his index finger in the air, trying to keep Akaashi’s eyes focused on him, “you _do_ need us. And we’re here to help!”

“I don’t recall having ever asked for help, much less from a freak hairstyle duo,” the words slipped out of his mouth before he could really censor them, but Akaashi didn’t regret them. The man didn’t laugh, but his smirk was still spread across his face. Akaashi was about to stand up and leave when the man spoke again.

“Aren’t you bored of your life? Don’t you wish to change? To find something exciting to fill your days?”

Akaashi sighed.

He _was_ bored. He wanted to change. At least he thought he did. He wasn’t sure if he would rather wait for a miraculous event to happen to him, or if he would be willing to actively pursue that change. Maybe he regretted his stagnancy, and the lack of plan to do anything about it. Since he didn’t know for sure, he decided to sit for a while longer and listen to the weird words of the man.

“Are you trying to sell me life insurance?” he raised his eyebrows. The man snorted and Akaashi noticed a small grin forming on Pudding-Head’s lips.

“Not at all! I _do_ have something to offer you, though,” he finished his drink and it only took one glance at his side for the man beside him to take his hands out of his hoodie’s front pocket, along with a mechanical device.

Akaashi felt a little tempted to lean in closer to see properly, but held himself back. The device was pushed on the table by Bedhead’s big hands, and he could see what it was.

A wristwatch.

It was a very weird looking one, indeed, but there was nothing else Akaashi would call it. It had only one hand, and it had spaces for numbers that were adjusted by screws on the side. It had way too many numbers for a normal clock. Akaashi had no idea what kind of watch that was, and after inspecting it for a few seconds, he decided the two of them were very likely pranking him.

“What kind of scam is this?” he asked, leaning back on his chair, farther from them.

“It’s not a scam. You should be more careful and observant; if you paid better attention to your surroundings, you probably wouldn’t have ended up like this,” was the answer he got. His eyebrow flinched but he didn’t say anything else.

He didn’t even know why he was still sitting there listening to these two weirdos who were offering him some kind of help he never had asked for.

“Before you get up and leave, you should take a look around,” Bedhead added, turning the empty cup in his hands, seeming rather calm and playful.

Akaashi squinted, not sure if he wanted to follow the man’s suggestion, but he did anyway. Taking a look around, his frowned face slowly relaxed and turned into a surprised expression, until the reality of what was ahead of him struck him completely.

People were frozen in place, as if time had stopped. The waitress was returning to the counter, her ponytail frozen in the air, strands of it spiking in different directions following the twist of her body. Someone was pouting, about to close the distance between their lips and the cup. The hot liquid’s smoke was not twirling in the air, seeming like a faint sculpture. Everywhere Akaashi looked, people were so much like statues he knew it would be impossible for it to be a prank. They couldn’t possibly stop smoke in the air.

Akaashi fidgeted with his fingers under the table and felt like screaming.

He gulped and turned his eyes back to the duo in front of him, who calmly ignored the increasing panic his expression started showing. Pudding-Head had finally finished his Frappuccino, exchanging a glance with Bedhead.

Before Akaashi could fully ascertain what was going on, both of them stood up and Bedhead was smirking again.

“I suggest your first day of college. And this time, try not to walk away from the crowd, eh. Those people talking so loudly at the entrance might not be that bad,” he said, waving a hand in the air while Pudding-Head pushed the wristwatch a little closer to Akaashi. “Remember to _pay attention_ to your surroundings too. It might be a good start.”

“Who the fuck are you people?” he finally managed. His voice was hoarse and he still felt a bit sick. He did not understand what was going on. Who were those two? Why did they talk to him? How did they stop time? And what the fuck was the wristwatch they were handing him, with all that suspicious and vague advice?

His head was a mess, even messier than the duo’s hairstyle.

He didn’t get his answer, though. Pudding-Head took his leave first, not even saying a single word throughout the whole meeting, and Bedhead grinned.

“If everything goes well, you won’t see us again, so you don’t need to know that. Good luck,” he said before following his partner.

As soon as the door clicked back on the frame, closing behind Bedhead’s large back, diverse sounds reached Akaashi’s ears and made him recoil from surprise, as the café became lively again. The waitress reached the counter, putting the empty cups on the sink, her ponytail nicely flowing along her movements. The person finally sipped on their hot drink, the vapor of it slightly humidifying their cheeks, only to have their tongue burnt.

Akaashi looked around astonished for a few more seconds, not sure if he’d fallen asleep while reading his boring book and dreamed all of that. He lowered his eyes to the opened pages in front of him, instead having them meet the wristwatch on the table.

Page 159 still waited to be turned, but Akaashi only closed the book and hid the wristwatch in his pocket, the cold metal in touch with his long fingers only confirming how real all of that had been.

…

It was a bad day.

Akaashi didn’t really have _good_ days but today was a particularly bad one.

He opened his room’s door, soaking wet from the unexpected thunderstorm that greeted him at the end of his last lecture of the day, in which he had received one of his papers back with some very nasty feedback from his teacher. His clothes, hair, glasses, and backpack were all drenched and he bet the books inside it had been ruined as well.

He slowly walked inside his usually tidy room, except this time it was a mess. He couldn’t have been bothered to clean up so he just left the clothes on the floor, the books on the table, his paper drafts all over his rumpled sheets. 

He didn’t know what else to do.

Akaashi kneeled on the floor, opened his backpack, and took out his books one by one, feeling the cold water drops fall from the edges of his hair strands onto his shirt, his hands, his books. It took him a moment to realize his vision was out of focus and he felt warm droplets mixing with the cold ones, and another moment to notice that it was because he was crying.

The room was quickly brightened by a flash of strong lightning, followed closely by thunder resonating loudly, and Akaashi’s tears streamed silently across his cheeks. His hand still held one of the wet books he was planning to take out of his backpack, his fingers trembling.

How had all come to this?

With a guttural cry ripping from his throat, he threw the book away from him, and it hit the bedside table that was full of trash and poorly stacked books. The strength of the toss made them fall off their stack, the repeated _thuds_ echoing in his ears.

There weren’t only _thuds_ , though.

 _Clink_.

Akaashi raised his eyes, confused by the unexpected metal sound that resounded from the floor. His face was hot, his hands still trembled. Even though the room was quite dark, a perfectly timed lightning strike illuminated it enough so he could see the weird wristwatch those strangers had given him at the café some days ago. He had forgotten that he had even left it there, under the pile of boring books he hadn’t read.

_We’re here to help!_

Akaashi didn’t have any reason to believe him.

_Aren’t you bored of your life?_

Terribly. He wasn’t sure if he could take one more single day of that.

_Don’t you wish to change?_

Akaashi moved unconsciously closer to the wristwatch, slowly, barely recognizing the fact that his hands were on the floor, guiding him as he dragged himself across the room, until his fingers closed on the wristwatch. 

_To find something exciting to fill your days?_

He must have gone insane. He didn’t know Bedhead and Pudding-Head. He had no reason to trust or believe them.

But he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t take not doing anything at all. He had to change. He had to find something, _anything_. It could be crazy, he could be called an idiot and reckless, but even if it was the smallest thing, he would like to grasp the chance and get out of this boring life.

He wiped his face with the back of his right hand and after taking a deep breath, put the wristwatch around his left wrist. His hands were still shaking so it took him a few tries to do it.

_I suggest your first day of college._

It was quite intuitive to make the screws turn to show the accurate date on screen. He didn’t take as long as he had expected to figure it out, despite having little to no explanation on how it worked from the duo. After the date was settled, he didn’t know what to do.

He waited long minutes. He tried to keep his breathing stable, hearing the thunderstorm rage outside. Every now and then some lightning would clear his vision, fixed on the wristwatch around his wrist, hoping that _this time,_ when the room became dark again, something would have changed.

But nothing did.

Letting out a feeble breathless laugh escape through his lips, he buried his face in his hands.

So that was it.

…

Akaashi blinked at the sudden clarity. He hadn’t noticed the night before, but he had fallen asleep curled up on the floor, without even taking off his wet clothes and that stupid wristwatch. His eyes hurt, his throat was dry and he could very possibly be sick.

He had forgotten to close his window shutter the night before and the room was lightened by a perfectly sunny day. He faced his ceiling for long minutes, considering his options. He could just stay lying there all day. No one would notice, no one would care. He didn’t sleep very well so he could use the time to just take a proper shower and go back to bed, hoping to sleep away some days of his disastrous life.

However, that felt wrong. He wasn’t sure why, but after the night before, when he had finally decided to make a move to change his life, it seemed a waste to go back on that resolution. So what if that stupid watch didn’t work? He might try to do something different that day.

Gathering strength from gods knows where, Akaashi slowly rose to his feet and, wobbling a bit, reached the bathroom. He decided he wouldn’t look at his face in the mirror until he had had a proper shower. It would do some good to eat something decent for breakfast, so he thought about stopping by a convenience store and buying something nutritious.

He not so regretfully took off the wristwatch and threw it in the trash can before stripping and stepping into the shower.

Looking better than he felt inside after a warm shower and a change of clean clothes – possibly his last ones, considering how many T-shirts and pants laid across his floor – he finally took a look outside the window.

The days were always beautiful after a storm like the previous night’s one, but something felt wrong. Akaashi got closer to the window, opened it and leaned into the slightly cold sunny day. It wasn’t supposed to be this chilly in summer.

Nor should his view from the window look that pink.

Awestruck, Akaashi stared at the cherry blossoms that filled the path from his dorm to the city. Thousands of petals fluttered in the wind, one of them flying straight into his opened mouth, making him gasp and spit it out.

His heart was racing and he tried to process what he was seeing. Why were there cherry blossoms so suddenly during the summer? Did the thunderstorm create a mess in the weather?

The cherry blossoms made him remember his first week of classes at college, how the path was always filled with pink wherever he went in the new city he had just moved into.

Eh?

His first week of classes?

Akaashi turned back to the room in a hurry, stumbling on his clothes and books scattered on the floor. His room seemed as messy as it had been yesterday, so he didn’t notice at first how _different_ it actually was. Lots of boxes were next to the door, waiting to be taken to the burnable trash. His clothes and books were piled up on the floor, but in a definitely more organized way, like they had just been unpacked, his bed was neatly cleaned up and his sheets weren’t a mess. Despite having slept on the floor for some reason, no resemblance to the messy room he was in just yesterday could be found.

His heart was racing as he made way to the calendar hanging on his wall, his eyes widening slowly as he noticed a big number 4 on it. And on the smaller numbers, a red circle marked the day which his classes had started.

Which, upon finding his phone amidst all that mess, with trembling hands, he realized was exactly today.

“What the actual…” he couldn’t even complete the sentence. Because he knew what happened. He’d kind of asked for it.

He just didn’t expect it would actually work. After considering yesterday a fiasco, Akaashi did not think for one second that when he woke up the next morning, he would have gone back in time.

But he had just done so.

And fate had a funny way of playing tricks on him, because he was already late for his first day of classes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the first bkak fic i actually started writing and i'm very fond of it! i had this idea for a while and i thought it'd fit them very well! to be honest the original one was a lot angstier but i didn't think i'd be able to write it properly lol a huge thanks to Tin for brainstorming with me and helping me with the plot!!  
> anyways i hope you've enjoyed this first long chapter, i can't promise how soon i will update but i'll do my best!! thank you very very much for reading and i hope i'll see you around for the following chapters too! ♥  
> i have some art for bokuaka week 2020 and another fic with bakery au prompt if you'd like to check it, you can find my art [here](https://kitsuanne14.tumblr.com/tagged/bokuaka-week-2020) on tumblr!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for taking so long to update this! i'll try to bring the next chapter sooner :)  
> i hope you enjoy this chapter, i definitely had a great time writing it ♥

Akaashi made a quick stop at the convenience store next to his dorm, and ran the rest of the way to his classes. At least he wouldn’t waste time now looking for his assigned classroom, since he had been going there for some months already.

He tried not to think so much on the implications of having really gone back in time. He wasn’t a physics person, he wasn’t even that much into sci-fi, so for the sake of his sanity, he decided to just accept that magical things had happened to him and he was given a chance. Bedhead had implied the wristwatch would take him back in time when he suggested going back to the first day of college. And they _did_ stop time for those minutes at the café. Akaashi couldn’t say he was completely surprised at how it all had turned out.

Despite being almost on time for classes to start, the entrance was crowded, full of curious and avid freshmen surrounded by noisy seniors. Akaashi grimaced at that view. He didn’t want to make way through all those people and he really wanted to be on time since he knew his professor was strict with punctuality.

He crossed the gate, ready to go around the crowd and take the easiest route, a much emptier lane that would take him between some buildings and make him reach his own by the back door. He took one step in that direction when he remembered something else Bedhead had told him.

_This time, try not to walk away from the crowd._

He sighed. He had to do that, didn’t he? He was determined to not let that chance go to waste.

Taking a deep breath, he turned his back to the empty lane and stepped into the crowd, discomfort growing with every step he took.

 _Excuse me_...

“We really need someone who likes photography, so why not…”

_Excuse me…_

“Are you sure?? Where have you…?”

_Excuse me…_

“That guy is so handsome! Do you think he’s got…?”

_Excuse me._

“This year’s freshmen are such an eyecandy…”

_Excuse me._

“Basketball! Let’s play…!”

Akaashi tried his best to make way through so many people and their diverse conversations, but he only got more and more tired, without getting any closer to the lane that would take him directly to his building. His head ached and his limbs were growing heavy by each step. He was even starting to feel dizzy.

This was useless.

It was tiresome, loud, and he felt like just going away. Nothing would happen in such messy conglomeration.

“Oi, Saru, don’t push--!”

“Excuse m--“

Akaashi didn’t really get much further than that, and not unscathed either, as a man lost his balance, nearly falling over him. The man’s reflexes were good enough to have him stop on his feet before hurting Akaashi, but not so much as to keep holding his ridiculously green drink.

Which completely spilled over Akaashi’s once gray sweater.

“Agh!”

The man in front of him had his golden eyes widened in surprise, seeming as shocked as Akaashi about the turn of events. His friends – they had to be his friends, right? – covered their mouths, trying to hold their laughter, but Akaashi barely noticed them, a sour expression on his face.

“Holy fuck I’m so sorry! Sorry! Ah, Saru, I told you not to push me! Gosh, I’m sorry, are you okay? It’s not a hot drink so I don’t think you got burned, here, ah--! How do we get stains out of clothes? Konoha, help me here!” the man sputtered, turning his head back and forth between Akaashi and his friends, as if he was a gigantic owl. His spiked grayish hair did make him seem like one.

Akaashi was really done with meeting people with crazy hair.

“Ehh, you troubled the freshman yourself, deal with it.”

The man seemed childishly shocked with his friend’s reply and turned back to Akaashi, who still was unable to utter any word.

_Is this what that damn Bedhead predicted when he suggested for me to go through the crowd? Is this going to be worth it?_

Before the man could say anything else, Akaashi let a deep sigh come out of his lips and raised one of his hands.

“It’s okay, please don’t worry. I am aware it was an accident. I can’t be late, though, so if you’ll excuse me,” he said, bowing a little bit and trying to go back to his mission of venturing through the crowd. His head felt a little heavy but he ignored it, it probably was due to the noise and the cold.

“Wait, no, wait!” in two large steps the man reached him and stood in front of him, this time being the one raising his arms in front of his body, in a clear “stop” sign. Akaashi did so, as he didn’t intend to stumble upon the other one. “You can’t go to class looking like this. Even _I_ know it,” he insisted, raising his eyebrows.

“I was hoping to take it off in class where it wouldn’t be so chilly, but, here,” with another sigh, Akaashi took off his sweater, showing that the long-sleeved shirt below it wasn’t stained. “See? It’s fine, so don’t worry.”

“Oh!” the man’s eyes widened once more, surprised. “So at least let me have your sweater so I can have it laundered! It’s my fault after all and I’d really hate it if I ended up ruining such a nice sweater.”

Akaashi pondered for a few seconds, arriving at the conclusion that it would probably turn out being more tiresome trying to argue with such an insistent man. With a slight nod of his head, he folded the sweater and handed it to the senior, who brightened up with a beautiful smile. Their hands touched for a moment, the warmth of his fingers covering Akaashi’s for a regretfully short second.

The man’s head inclined almost imperceptibly to the side, as if he had noticed something but was still trying to understand what it was.

“Then,” Akaashi nodded one last time and was finally able to break away into the crowd.

Thankfully, most seniors and freshmen had hurried to their classes during Akaashi’s meeting with the stranger, so he managed to free himself from the now smaller conglomeration faster than he had expected.

“AH!” he heard the stranger’s voice sounding loudly behind him, probably after he went back to his group of friends. Akaashi didn’t bother turning back to face them.

He should have though.

His hand was suddenly grabbed by a much stronger one and next thing he knew he was being dragged by the man.

“Come with me!” was all he said, not even looking back to Akaashi’s astonished expression. Despite nearly losing balance, his legs did their best to follow the quicker, longer stride of the strange, taking him the opposite direction of what he needed. Was the man nuts? Where was he taking him?

“Wh—wait…” he stammered, “wait, erm…?”

He wished he had heard a name when he was close to the group of friends; he had no idea what to call him and make him stop. Actually, Akaashi should have been really out of it to just hand him his sweater and not asking for a name so he could have it returned. Akaashi wasn’t that strong and just looking at the man’s large back he could tell he wouldn’t ever be able to hold him back.

“Please, wait, erm…” he tried again, squeezing the man’s hand a bit.

This seemed to work. The man came to a sudden stop, then turned his head back, still holding his hand tightly.

“Oh, sorry! I’m Bokuto! Bokuto Koutarou!” he introduced himself (quite late, Akaashi firmly noted in his head, but as he hadn’t told him his name either, maybe they were even) with a huge grin, pointing to himself with the thumb of his free hand.

“N-Nice to meet you, Bokuto-san. I’m Akaashi Keiji,” he said, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. The day was still very chilly but being suddenly dragged across campus made Akaashi’s cheeks heat up (it most definitely had nothing to do with the man’s smile or his hand still wrapped warmly around Akaashi’s).

“What a beautiful name, Akaashi! It fits you!” Bokuto said excitedly.

Awestruck, Akaashi was left speechless for a few seconds, until he snapped out of it and shook his head.

“Uh, thank you. Could I ask where are you taking me? I have a class to attend right now, and I believe you do too,” he pointed out, glancing back to his building which only became farther from him.

“Oh, I don’t mind being late, or not attending at all. This professor knows me already and I bet she doesn’t expect me to show up on the first day anyway,” Bokuto said, somewhat proudly. Akaashi wondered why he had gone through the trouble of coming to college, then, if he didn’t mean to attend his classes.

“I see. But I _do_ need to go to class, it’s my first day and I don’t want to leave a bad impression on the professor,” after all, he knew that the professor was one full of self-confidence and had a bad personality, and although he wouldn’t make an effort to be in his good graces during the semester, he’d like at least to avoid being labeled a “bad” student from the first day.

“So, you worry about things like that, eh, ‘Kaashi!” Bokuto laughed, and Akaashi wondered how his name had been shortened already. “I understand your point, at least I think I do, but right now you need to be in the infirmary!”

“Eh?”

Akaashi didn’t have much time to react, Bokuto’s firm grip once more pulling him along toward the infirmary.

“Wait, Bokuto-san… why the infirmary?” he tried to plant his feet on the ground, but it only made him lose balance and nearly fall flat on his face. Bokuto turned around again, his eyes curiously inquiring how Akaashi had almost fallen like that.

“Isn’t it obvious? You have a fever!” he replied, finally letting go of Akaashi’s hand and crossing his arms (Akaashi tried not to notice his tensed muscles under his sweatshirt as he did).

He focused instead on what Bokuto had said: Had he gotten a fever? It’s true he’d slept on the floor, was wearing wet clothes, and had a shitty emotional state the night before. He also slept through a summer night and woke up on a chilly spring day. Earlier, he had felt dizzy and his limbs were heavy, but maybe this was just something that happened to people who travelled back in time? Not that he – or anyone else, very likely – would know that.

“At first I thought your face was all red because you were shy! I mean, I did cause a scene over there spilling juice all over you, so I’d get it if you wanted to bury yourself in a hole of shame,” Bokuto started to explain, leaving Akaashi a little astonished once more with how quick and blunt he was. “But then our hands touched and you felt _so warm_? Even after you took your sweater off, you were so hot! I mean, fever hot, not handsome hot, but you’re also handsome hot-- a-anyway, your face didn’t look so good, ah! In the sense that you seemed sick, not that you don’t look good, because I think you do, agh…! I mean, I thought you maybe had a fever because of all this! And it’s not good if you have a fever!” Bokuto babbled, his face turned increasingly redder as his words tumbled out of his mouth, increasing in volume as he continued, and Akaashi could feel his own face heating up as well.

He couldn’t remember the last time he got praised so bluntly and had no idea how to react to that.

“See, let me check again to be sure!” suddenly a large hand covered part of his eyebrows as Bokuto touched his forehead. Akaashi hadn’t noticed him getting so close, and the surprise only made his face feel hotter.

He was _too_ close. Akaashi could see clearly his eyebrows in a sharp angle due to his frown, his eyelashes framing his golden irises, the blushed skin of his cheeks, the reddish tip of his nose. Bokuto had blurted out all of those compliments, but he himself was incredibly handsome.

“Ha! You’re burning. That proves my point, so let’s go now!” as quickly as Bokuto had invaded his space, he left it and took Akaashi’s hand again. The air around him was cooler than it had been before and it took him a few milliseconds to focus on Bokuto’s back again.

Without saying anything else, Bokuto resumed his way to the infirmary. Akaashi didn’t fight back this time, allowing Bokuto to drag him along. He was shocked that Bokuto had been so caring on the assumption of Akaashi _maybe_ having a fever. It wasn’t even confirmed, but he’d gone to such lengths to make sure he was well. Akaashi couldn’t remember the last time someone had been this kind to him.

He couldn’t remember the last time _he_ had been kind to someone.

He thought that, after thoroughly embarrassing himself, Bokuto would quietly take him to the infirmary, but he was wrong. Maybe “quietly” wasn’t part of Bokuto’s personality.

At a slower pace, still holding his hand like he thought Akaashi was deliriously desperate to go to class and would run away if he didn’t hold on tight, Bokuto decided to take that time as an opportunity to become a campus’ tour guide. As the infirmary’s building got closer and closer, the man told all kinds of stories about his shenanigans around the campus in his first year. Akaashi was bewildered at how many things Bokuto had done in just one year, from hiding from the teachers who’d chased him after he disturbed choir rehearsal in the pharmacy building’s stair case to trying to stay past closing on a dare from his friends, but getting caught by security before he could even start. 

“And I don’t know if you know this, ‘Kaashi, maybe you already do because you seem very smart, but those emergency bells? The ones that have ‘Press firmly’ written above them? Apparently ‘firmly’ does not mean as firmly as one would think, to be honest,” Bokuto said with a straight face, pointing to one of the small red boxes with a button in the middle as they passed by it. His expression held a hint of mischief that implied there was more to the story than he’d told – but he didn’t have to.

Akaashi couldn’t help a “pfft” escaping through his lips, imagining the pandemonium that must have come just for the sake of Bokuto’s curiosity.

“No, I didn’t know that, Bokuto-san. Thank you for informing me,” he replied, smiling shyly. The other man scratched the back of his head, a faint pink coloring his cheeks as he laughed it off.

Akaashi couldn’t deny that Bokuto’s company was very amusing and interesting. He didn’t speak much, mostly listening, but Bokuto didn’t seem to mind doing all the talking. He wasn’t the type to cross boundaries and bother him with a flood of questions, and it was quite comfortable to be around him. Bokuto seemed to like attention and Akaashi was happy to give him that, especially as it meant he didn’t have to do much. 

They finally reached the infirmary, and stopped in front of the door, facing each other. Bokuto let go of Akaashi’s hand and smiled.

“Here you are, ‘Kaashi! Make sure to rest a lot so you can endure your new life as a college student, ‘kay?”

“Sure, Bokuto-san. Thank you for your help,” he replied. Neither of them moved, staring at each other, and Akaashi slowly raised his fingers, fidgeting them. “Hmm, Bokuto-san?”

“Yeah, Akaashi?” his golden eyes widened a bit, and his smile grew a little larger.

Akaashi felt a little embarrassed, but he wanted to know something. “Why were you so kind to me? I mean, we don’t even know each other…” He kept his eyes on Bokuto’s ridiculously neon-orange volleyball shoes, feeling a little timid.

“Does anyone need a reason to be kind?” Bokuto questioned, making him raise his head quickly. Bokuto was serious this time, his eyes shining with a look different from what he had shown before. Akaashi felt that look pierce through his heart, heating his ears and neck.

“I… I don’t think so, Bokuto-san,” he admitted. Bokuto’s cheerful grin appeared once again, his eyes turning into semi-crescent moons.

“Then, it’s all good! I hope you feel better soon, Akaashi! See you!” He waved both of his hands and kept looking back as he left. Akaashi waved back, letting out a slow breath once Bokuto was out of his sight.

He felt like he had just gone through another thunderstorm; but this time, his feelings were warm and light. It had been so long since he had felt like that.

He didn’t really feel that sick, but Bokuto had gone out of his way to take him there, so he thought about using this time to rest properly. He greeted the nurse and explained his symptoms, and after they checked his temperature – Akaashi indeed had a fever – they requested that he rest in one of the clean beds. The nurse let him know that he’d be able to get a sick leave form to hand to his professor, so his absence would be excused.

Lying down in the warm bed, feeling a lot calmer and a lot better than he had been the last months, Akaashi quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally bokuto appears!! it was so much fun writing him! and it's going to be slow, but you're in for bokuaka being very gay for each other so enjoy the ride.  
> also fukurodani boys had their brief cameo but they'll definitely show up more because i love this team :')  
> once again, thank you to [@prince_zale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/prince_zale) for his amazing help beta-ing this ♥  
> kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. see you next time, hopefully!


	3. Chapter 3

Akaashi woke up a few hours later, around noon. His stomach grumbled, complaining of its emptiness, despite he having eaten two onigiri from the convenience store earlier. He felt a lot better after resting, and touched his forehead. It indeed seemed like his fever had gone down.

The nurse confirmed it when they checked on him again, and gave him the sick leave. He had missed his morning classes, but his professors would probably be fine with that since he had proof he wasn’t feeling well. Maybe they’d complain he already missed some of the content, but, well. It’s not like Akaashi hadn’t taken those classes before, just a few months ago. He could catch up easily.

He decided to go to the professors’ offices to talk to them since he was already there, in order not to waste more of his time. After gathering his stuff and thanking the nurse for taking care of him, he opened the infirmary’s door and left. However, he barely stepped out of the room before stopping again, surprised.

Right in front of him, Bokuto Koutarou was leaning on the wall, headphones on while muttering a song to himself. He had a blue paper bag from some random shop in his hands, his fingers loosely holding its string handle.

“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked, not hiding his surprise in his tone of voice. The man turned his golden eyes in his direction and grinned largely, lowering his headphones to his neck.

“Akaaaashi! You seem a lot better now! Did you get plenty of rest?” He asked, coming closer to him. Akaashi noticed that his name sounded longer this time.

“Yes, thank you Bokuto-san.”

He wanted to ask if Bokuto was there because of him, but wouldn’t it sound too conceited? They had just met so why would he be there again to see him?

However, why would he be there if _not_ for him? So he thought it would be safe to ask, “What brings you here?”

“Oh! Since I got your sweater all dirty, I thought you might get cold later. You’re only wearing this shirt and you’re sick, so you can’t be cold, right?” Bokuto sounded as excited as he had been earlier. “I went back home real quick and grabbed you a jacket of mine, since I couldn’t break into your house and get one of yours. I hope it’s comfortable enough. You can keep it for the day! And tomorrow too, you don’t have to give it back to me before midnight or anything just because I said ‘for the day’, y’know,” he pushed the paper bag onto Akaashi’s chest, making him raise his hands in response so he could hold it. Their hands brushed once again for a split second.

Akaashi could feel his face heating up, but his first thought was that if Bokuto found out about it, he might push him back to the infirmary and make him rest more. He stepped back a little bit, putting some distance between them, but Bokuto didn’t seem to mind or take it the wrong way. Maybe he was used to being a little (too?) pushy on people and them needing space.

“This… this was very kind of you, Bokuto-san. I appreciate it,” he meant it. It was really getting chilly even though the sun was high in the sky. Just like an early spring day.

“You don’t have to thank me! But I _still_ feel like I owe you a proper apology so…” Bokuto scratched the back of his neck, putting his other hand in his pocket. “Could I buy you lunch or something? Maybe dinner, if you already have plans for lunch?”

Akaashi would have to soon accept the fact that Bokuto always blurted out something surprising and left him speechless. He also tried to adjust to how _kind_ Bokuto was trying to be the whole time. He had done so much already but he still wanted to buy him lunch? Why would he offer to do even more after paying for his sweater to be laundered, taking him to the infirmary and bringing him a jacket for him not to feel cold?

Oh.

Oh, wait.

Was it... _that?_

“’kaashi? Are you sure you’re better? Your face is all red, y’know,” Bokuto leaned closer, lowering his head and facing Akaashi’s blushed cheeks from below, his eyes seeming curious and bigger from that angle.

“Yeah, I’m all good, Bokuto-san,” he managed to say, raising the shopping bag to cover his face.

 _Calm down,_ he thought to himself. What was he doing, having those kind of thoughts right after meeting the man? Bokuto Koutarou just seemed like the easy-going type, it was very likely he was kind to everyone. It was like he had said earlier – _Does anyone need a reason to be kind?_ – It was not about Akaashi and the sooner he put that into his head the better.

However, it wouldn’t do any harm to agree to his invitation and get to know him more, would it?

He had already accepted the fact that Bokuto was the person who’d change his boring life. He hadn’t needed more than five minutes next to him to realize that. All he had done differently from his first first day of classes was going through the crowd, as Bedhead had suggested, and the only person he actively met there was Bokuto. That meant enough for him.

And honestly, he didn’t feel like going after anyone else.

After taking a deep breath to calm down, he lowered the shopping bag and looked into Bokuto’s expectant eyes. He seemed worried.

“Hum… I’m really okay, Bokuto-san,” he started. “Also, I wouldn’t mind going for lunch with you.”

“Really? That’s great, ‘Kaashi! Konoha said I would be too pushy and you’d hate me, but I told him I have to repay you!” Bokuto beamed and finally gave Akaashi some distance.

“It’s not pushy, well, not exactly, but you’ve done more than enough for me already,” he said, and as if trying to reinforce his words, he took out the sports jacket from the paper bag and put it on. “See? I’m even warm enough now, thanks to you,” Akaashi gave him a short smile.

Bokuto stared at him quietly for a few seconds as he adjusted the larger jacket on his body. His hands were half-covered by the long sleeves, and the zipper closed up to his chin, which Akaashi considered very useful to warm his neck. Bokuto wasn’t much taller than Akaashi, but he was definitely broader, which made the jacket seem a bit oversized.

“You look good in that, ‘Kaashi!” Bokuto smiled, giving him a thumbs up. Akaashi found that the jacket’s neck was wide enough to hide half of his blushing face in it, and appreciated it even more. “Let’s go, then?!” Bokuto asked, turning his back to Akaashi and getting ready to follow the corridor that’d take them to the campus’ entrance.

“Ah, I just have to stop by my professors’ offices so I can hand them my sick leave. Would you mind waiting a bit?”

“I can take you there! You probably don’t know where it is, do you?” Bokuto promptly offered. Akaashi thought about refusing because he actually _knew_ where it was, but Bokuto couldn’t know that. And if they were going out together after that, why not just go to the office with him too? It wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy Bokuto’s company.

“Sorry for troubling you once again, Bokuto-san,” he bowed slightly.

“It’s no trouble at all! Let’s go!” Bokuto cheerfully led the way and Akaashi followed him, this time not being dragged by his hand and being able to keep up with a slower pace.

The professor for his second lecture, whose office was closer, was a nice woman and accepted his sick leave without complaints. She wished him to feel better soon and hoped he could catch up on the readings she gave for next week. Akaashi promised her he’d have them read and left her office quite quickly. At least he had read those books before and the notes would be easier to take this time.

However, the other professor - unsurprisingly - complained about him missing the first day. Akaashi really didn’t want to have skipped his class or gotten late, since he already knew how the man behaved regarding that. When he got there about 20 minutes late for the first time (a couple of months ago, in his first timeline), he had to hand in a report about the class’ lecture so he wouldn’t be marked as absent. The professor was not easy to deal with and Akaashi knew he’d be bothered throughout his semester with the man’s demands and lack of complacency now that he missed the first class. He definitely was not looking forward to spending more months than what was expected watching that class, but it was the price he paid for time travelling. He really hoped this second chance would be worth it.

Bokuto might have noticed that Akaashi seemed a bit down after leaving the professors’ offices, because he made sure to talk a lot about every little thing on their way out, distracting Akaashi from what had happened inside there. It seemed like every single tile on the campus’ buildings reminded him of a funny story, and he told them all to Akaashi.

So, by the time they made it to a ramen place Bokuto had strongly recommended, just a five-minute walk away from their college, Akaashi was definitely in a better mood and knew a lot more about Bokuto’s friends. He heard stories about how Washio had scared a student’s child that seemed lost when he tried to help her, just because of his face, and how Komi and Konoha had hit on the same girl but she dumped both of them for a half-Russian beautiful lady. He also heard about how Sarukui took dance lessons and once tried to teach them how to do some basic steps, but it caused Konoha to twist an ankle and Bokuto ended up carrying him princess-style to the infirmary.

Akaashi didn’t know who Konoha was, but he felt sorry for the man. It also made him thankful for having been dragged by the hand earlier; he wasn’t aware it could’ve been worse.

“Here we are!” Bokuto exclaimed, opening his arms as if presenting a masterpiece. Akaashi had barely noticed how long they had walked, being engulfed in Bokuto’s stories and smile. He didn’t even remember his professors anymore and whatever bad feelings he had in his heart earlier.

The restaurant was very traditional, comfortable and warm, and Akaashi immediately liked it. From the way the owner – a short and kind old lady, with a cloth over her hair and wrinkles around her smile – sweetly greeted them when they stepped through the door, Akaashi assumed she was used to Bokuto’s presence. “What kind of ramen do you like, Akaashi?” Bokuto asked, pointing to the pictures hanging above the counter. Akaashi took a look at them, but didn’t have any particular preference.

“The large ones,” he replied, making Bokuto cackle. They ordered a large serving of gyoza to go with their order – a miso ramen and a tonkotsu ramen with extra char siu topping – and sat at a table on the corner of the shop instead of the counter.

“Ne, ‘Kaashi, what’s your favorite food?!” Bokuto asked excitedly while he tapped his fingers on the table, looking at the ramen bowls being prepared, the old lady being surrounded by a steam wave as she cooked for them and a couple other customers.

“… Nanohana with karashi dressing,” he replied, knowing the answer probably didn’t match Bokuto’s level of excitement on the topic. As expected, the man’s eyes widened and his mouth went agape.

“ _Vegetables?_ ” He frowned, making Akaashi chuckle.

A sudden thought came to his mind. If it was early spring, maybe he would still be able to find nanohana in supermarkets and prepare it at home again! By the time spring reached mid-season there were fewer and fewer of their packages at the markets, so Akaashi always had to wait for next year’s spring to eat his favorite food again. Now, he could feast upon it just a few months after he had had it last.

Maybe time travelling _was_ really worth it.

“Let me guess yours, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, holding back a playful smile on his lips as he gladly thought about what else he’d need to buy at a supermarket later. The old lady brought their bowls of ramen and placed them on the table, wishing them a nice meal. They thanked her. “It’s meat, isn’t it?”

“Oh, you’re really smart, ‘Kaashi!” Bokuto commended him while grabbing a piece of char siu between his wooden chopsticks. They both giggled before saying _itadakimasu!_ and digging in.

Akaashi must have been really hungry, because the ramen he shared with Bokuto in that cozy restaurant was one of the best he had ever had in his life, despite not being particularly tasty. It was just a regular ramen.

At the end of their meal, when they clasped their hands together to say _gochisousama deshita_ in front of the empty bowls, Akaashi thought maybe it wasn’t the ramen’s taste or the restaurant’s coziness that made him so happy. He couldn’t remember the last time he enjoyed sharing a meal with someone; happily eating delicious food while talking about trivial subjects was something he hadn’t done in ages.

He didn’t let Bokuto pay for his meal, no matter how much the other insisted, arguing that he had already received too much from him. Bokuto accepted, although still pouted when they left the shop with their thanks to the ma’am.

They exchanged glances, a bit awkward now that lunch was over. Akaashi didn’t have much else to do that day besides going to the library and looking for the books his teachers had recommended for reading. Yes, he had read them already, but it’d been so long he probably wouldn’t remember well enough to work on them. He wished he could have taken his already finished and marked papers back in time too to use as a basis so he could slack off a little during the months he had already studied before.

Still, he really didn’t want to go to the library right now. More like, he didn’t want to part ways with Bokuto just yet. _Maybe_ he wanted to listen to more stories, to laugh more, to find him endearing and kind. He wanted to get to know Bokuto better.

But fate wouldn’t cooperate that well with him, unfortunately, apparently deciding he had enough for the day. Bokuto’s phone rang and he excused himself so he could pick it up, leaving Akaashi fidgeting with his fingers thinking about what he could do next. He definitely planned on stopping by the supermarket, but it could be done later.

“Oh, okay! Thanks Komi, I’ll be right there,” he heard Bokuto say loudly on his phone before turning it off and turning back to face him. Akaashi’s mood dropped slightly, foreseeing what would come.

“Is everything ok, Bokuto-san?” he asked, politely. Bokuto smiled.

“Yeah! Komi was just letting me know we’ll have a masterclass later today and the lecturer is a professor I really like! So I can’t miss it,” he explained. Then he inclined his head a little to the side, reminding Akaashi of an owl once again. “What will you be doing after this, ‘Kaashi?”

“I probably have to stop by the library to get some books and head to the supermarket, I think.”

“Aw, I see. You also need to rest a little more since you were sick earlier. It’s not good to push yourself too much. I think it’s best if I don’t take more of your time then, right?!” Bokuto smiled, scratching the back of his neck. Akaashi wanted to tell him that it wasn’t exactly the case, and he would very much like it if Bokuto could spend more time with him. However, the senior obviously had some important plans for later and Akaashi was the one who would be bothering him if he stuck around for too long.

“Please, don’t say it like that, Bokuto-san. I had an enjoyable time,” he said, being honest and seeing the results of his words acting in Bokuto’s smile, which only turned bigger.

“Akaaaaaashi! It was really nice meeting you too!” he grinned. Akaashi gave him a short smile in response, bracing himself for what he wanted to say next. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Bokuto, who raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Would it be fine to get your number, Bokuto-san? So we can settle a way for you to give me my sweater back, and there’s also this jacket…” he murmured, fighting the words so they would come out of his mouth in an audible tone. He was bad at that kind of interaction, but he hoped Bokuto would compensate for it. And he did.

“OF COURSE, ‘KAASHI! It was actually very stupid of me to offer to have your sweater laundered without even asking your name or number, wasn’t it!” Bokuto cackled and accepted his phone. “When I realized that, I knew I had to get back at you in the infirmary, so I thought why not bring you a jacket for the day since I was at it! That’s why I came back. I thought it would be nice to ask you for lunch first though.”

“I really appreciate it, Bokuto-san. I’m glad you came back for me and lent me your jacket too. I’ll make sure to wash it before returning it,” Akaashi replied.

“Not a problem! Here you go. It’s ok to call me if you need help again, or if you need another campus tour! And also if you want to send memes, I love receiving memes so you can send them anytime, even like at 3 a.m.! The only thing is that I actually sleep early so maybe I won’t reply right away but I will in the morning!” Bokuto excitedly gave him his phone back, words falling out of his mouth, as always.

“We indeed should be sleeping at that hour, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi rebutted, although _he_ usually wasn’t asleep at that time. “But thank you, I’ll make sure to call if I need to.”

“Is it fine if I call you too, Akaashi?” he asked, seeming for once a bit shy, taking Akaashi by surprise. “I promise I won’t bother you too much. But maybe just a little, when I feel like eating with you again, or getting to know you more! Maybe doing some more fun things together too, I can introduce you to the boys if you’d like. At first I hated going to classes, but every day became fun because I met them. I think I would like it to be the same for you too, although our ways of having fun might be different, and I get it! So it’s ok if I can’t call you or if you wouldn’t like to hang out. I just think it’d be nice to have you sticking along. You’re a cool guy, ‘Kaashi.”

There it was again. Akaashi didn’t know how to respond, didn’t know if his voice would be heard over the loud heartbeats that echoed in his ears. Someone actually enjoyed his presence? And wanted to bond and spend more time with him? How did he even manage to become this lucky? He was just a boring character, someone whose life wasn’t interesting and exciting things would never happen to him. Wasn’t that what he thought when reading the book, the day Bedhead and Pudding-Head met him?

However, there he was, having someone saying he was “cool” and wanting to spend more time with him. After hearing all of Bokuto’s stories with his friends and being slightly envious of all the fun they had in just one year, when he couldn’t enjoy his days at all. Now he was being invited to that world. Someone that bright, that amazing, someone who was like a shining star; that very someone wanted him, Akaashi Keiji, boring character, to join him?

Holding back sudden tears that dared to reach his eyes, Akaashi smiled largely, barely noticing Bokuto becoming a bit awestruck at the sight.

“I would love that, Bokuto-san. Please do call me, okay?”

Ah, how it was worth it having travelled back in time.

…

Akaashi entered his room and lit the lights. It was still messy, he needed to put his clothes in the closet and organize his materials. He could probably do that tonight, given his light mood. He had just come back from the library and the supermarket, leaving his purchases on the shared refrigerator of his dorm’s kitchen, with his name on it. He doubted anyone would be willing to steal some rapeseed and karashi mustard though.

So many things had happened in just one day that he was still trying to come to terms with it. Meeting Bokuto, having a nice lunch, buying his favorite food... He hadn’t had such a good day in ages.

His phone buzzed a couple of times, surprising him, and he pulled it out of his pocket, seeing lots of new messages from Bokuto. Apparently he had messaged earlier too but Akaashi ended up not checking his phone, since he didn’t have the habit of doing so. He didn’t get notifications often, except for occasional texts from his parents.

The first one was a photo of an older man with cool sunglasses, probably the lecturer he mentioned earlier since they were at university. Bokuto had written “Takeyuki-sensei is the best!” below it.

The next message was also a photo, and Akaashi helplessly blushed upon seeing Bokuto’s selfie at the laundry near their university. Who even looked that happy and _good_ at a laundry?

**FROM: Bokuto-san**

_(17:32) Getting your sweater laundered!!!_

_(17:47) Apparently it’s super fast to get rid of this kind of stain!_

_(17:47) Lucky us!!!_

_(17:51) I think I can give it back to you tomorrow! Isn’t it good?_

_(17:51) What do you think about having lunch together again then?_

_(17:52) I can also introduce you to Komi, Saru, Washio and Konoha!!_

_(17:52) They asked a lot of questions about you so I think they want to be friends too!!_

_(17:54) But it can be just the two of us if you aren’t comfortable with new people yet!!!_

_(17:54) Though I am a new people………….._

_(17:54) A new person*****_

_(17:55) Konoha said I probably shouldn’t be texting you so much since it’s the first time we’re talking!!! I’m sorry!!!!!_

_(17:56) Let me know if lunch tomorrow is ok for you!!! If not I can just give you the sweater at your class!!!_

Akaashi couldn’t help smiling reading all of that. It was funny how Bokuto was just the same as earlier. He was so happy having so many messages to read, but he didn’t even know how to reply to all of them. He wasn’t even sure if Bokuto expected him to reply to all of them.

He decided to keep it short, hoping it wouldn’t sound rude or as if he was fed up with Bokuto’s message spam.

**TO: Bokuto-san**

_(18:01) Hello Bokuto-san. Lunch tomorrow seems great, I don’t really have any plans besides classes. And I wouldn’t mind getting to know your friends too. They seem great people, so of course we can all eat together._

_(18:03) Also, it’s fine about texting. You can text as much as you want and I did say you could do so. I’m just a slow texter, I hope you don’t mind._

_(18:04) :)_

**FROM: Bokuto-san**

_(18:04) That’s great then!!!!! :D :D :D_

_(18:05) Let me know which class and building you’ll be tomorrow at noon and we’ll pick you up!!!_

_(18:06) Make sure to rest so you won’t be sick again, Akaaashi!_

_(18:06) See you tomorrow! ^(OvO)^_

Akaashi giggled at the owl kaomoji, and replied with a “See you tomorrow”.

Finally moving from his room’s entrance, he went straight to the trash can and fished the weird wristwatch he had thrown there earlier that morning. It seemed like so long ago. He smiled fondly at it, being thankful for the wonders it had done to his life. He was really blessed for his second chance, and he was relieved it worked.

For the first time in so long, he was actually looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a ridiculous amount of time since last update and i apologise T-T  
> 2020 was a crazy year and i hope everyone's been doing fine, i needed some time to focus on other things and ended up not writing much. hopefully this time it'll be different and i can update sooner.  
> thank you for reading so far and i hope you've enjoyed the story and this update! from now on things will get a little messier so i'd love if you could stick around some more to read what happens to these two.  
> see you next chapter!


End file.
